If you were deploying a highly available infrastructure today, you would purchase servers, install virtualization software on those servers, configure management tools, purchase and install either a SAN or NAS, and finally network the whole bundle together. Each of these layers brings cost, both in terms of out-of-pocket dollars up front and the ongoing management of this complex environment.
With HC3, all of these layers and disparate systems are collapsed into one. As the administrator, you install your virtual machines and applications natively on the HC3 cluster. There is no SAN to buy and manage, there are no servers to buy and manage, and there is no virtualization software to buy and manage. HC3 handles all of these functions in a single clustered platform.
Instead, all of these components are seamlessly integrated, providing a single platform that is scalable, highly available, and runs applications.
HC3 Nodes form an integrated cluster, and this cluster is designed to allow for failover of your applications and data among the nodes of a cluster, automatically. Applications can be migrated between nodes in a live state while services continue to function. In the event of a complete node failure, applications are automatically restarted on other nodes to minimize downtime.
All resources of each node are aggregated into a single cluster, creating the feel of a single super-server for both you and your applications. If more computing power is needed, simply add a node. If more storage is needed, simply add a node. Nodes of different types can be mixed and matched in a single cluster, providing flexibility to build out the perfect infrastructure for applications.
The hypervisor is seamlessly integrated with HC3. You do not need to purchase virtualization software or licenses from any vendor, and you do not need any prior knowledge or training in virtualization to use the HC3.
Storage is seamlessly integrated into the HC3 cluster as a global namespace that is local to the applications running on HC3. The storage is easily managed as local, direct attached storage for your applications – no more storage subsystem, SAN, or storage protocols to manage.
HC3 was built for organizations with small IT staffs. The HC3 solutions are widely used in the healthcare, education, manufacturing, financial services, and government industries. They have been specifically built for easy deployment and to be managed by IT administrators who want to spend more time focused on business needs and applications, rather than troubleshooting infrastructure and hardware issues. Ideal for main offices, remote offices and DR sites, HC3 fits any type of environment where applications need high availability, not high costs and complexity.